Joined In Suffering
by Rose-Writer17
Summary: Aurora narrated Maleficent's story from her point of view, but she wasn't there for most of it. She got her facts from her godmother, who may have left out a thing or too... This is the REAL story of Maleficent, and her faithful servant Diaval, starting from her first night without wings. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE!**

**Hi everyone! Ok, so before you start this story I just want to explain something to help you better understand. The Maleficent movie was told from Aurora's point of view, but some of the events she recounted seemed like they were missing pieces or they were slightly incorrect. Also in some areas I think there wasn't enough detail, or there was TOO MUCH detail and precious movie time wasted on inconsequential things. SO I have written this on how I think the story REALLY HAPPENED.**

**That is why I at the bottom of each chapter in this I am going to have an authors note explain what I changed and why I changed it. And I URGE YOU all to read it.**

**Thankyou, and without further ado here is the first chapter of my new story...**

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Unlike most birds, this particular raven had never really seen eye to eye with sleep. It had been many years since he had actually slept properly. He couldn't even remember what a good sleep felt like. Nightmares plagued him every night, making him toss and turn in whatever form he was in until he shocked himself awake. Or until whoever he was serving noticed his thrashing and hit him themselves. But for the first time in decades, his nightmares weren't what disturbed him.

A bloodcurdling scream erupted from a distance, snapping him awake. The wailing filled the midnight air, high pitched and feminine. He could feel the pain, the anguish of the scream, as if someone was slicing him right down the middle with a blunt blade. The yells continued until he felt he couldn't bear much more of it. He curled his head into his chest, hoping that his feathers would drown out some of the sound, to no avail.

_Oh gods, _he thought to himself_. I think I would have been better off with the nightmares._

The woman finally stopped after a few minutes, and the raven couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He felt horrible for this poor woman. What could have happened to her to make her scream so? Not even the dying screamed like that, and he should know.

He searched for his current mistress, finding that she had somehow slept through it all. He cawed loudly, making sure she was truly asleep. When she remained unmoving, he very gently unfurled his wings and jumped down from the tree. God, if she woke up and found him gone she would surely kill him. But he couldn't just _ignore _someone in such pain, could he?

Sometimes he really hated having feelings.

He took to the skies, watching the dark with his keen raven eyes. He had grown accustomed to searching the night, training himself until he had even better night sight than that of a normal creature of the dark. It was often that his owners would demand him to search for things at night, as there was less chance of attack and his dark feathers blended in easily with the night sky.

He continued searching until his eyes fell upon some slight movement by some ruins. He could feel the magic surrounding the creature, it made his feathers stand on end. With all the trouble magic had caused him in his life, if he never saw it again it would be too soon. He landed gracefully on a few feet from her. The woman was bundled up in a dark olive robe, and he gave a quiet _caw_ to get her attention.

Startlingly green eyes peeked out from the cloth, wide and surprised. He suddenly made out the long black horns atop her head, which the darkness had previously concealed. Suddenly he felt insanely stupid for alerting her to him.

He noticed her eyes were red and puffy, conveying such a deep sadness he could barely stand to look at her. She was mourning. He cocked his head to one side, asking in his own way if she was alright, and the woman blinked. Her full, ruby red lips were revealed to him, and high, protruding cheek bones. She was certainly an odd looking creature, but he'd seen odder. And there was something about her that struck him as enchantingly beautiful.

They continued to gaze at one another for what seemed liked forever, one's gaze curious, the other one's tired and hurt. Suddenly, embarrassment shot across her features, the raven's pitying gaze made her feel weak. She didn't want anyone to see her like this; wingless and betrayed and broken. The black bird immediately noticed her change in demeanor, and wondered if he should leave her, allow her to mourn in peace by herself. His contemplation was interrupted when she blew a soft gust of golden wind in his direction. He jumped, deciding to fly away before he angered the creature.

He watched her from the skies though, and as he returned to his mistress, he wondered what kind of creature the woman could possibly be. She was no human for sure, for humans neither looked like that nor possessed any such magical essence. She was curled up quite close to the border of the Moorlands- the place his mistress had been trying to sneak into for the past weak- so he assumed she was one of their folk. He began to list off all the creatures that dwelled there in his head.

Certainly she was no nymph, she was far too big. Definitely not a Waller Bog, or a Cheep, or a Tree Giant, or a Dew Fairy. While pixies could change their size, he knew no pixie could be so powerful. A fae perhaps, but fae folk had wings, and he knew a woman her size would need wings so big even complete darkness could not conceal them. Pixies could hide their wings... Gah! This was so confusing!

The raven tried quite hard to stop thinking about the woman, and focus on where he was going, but it was easier said, _thought_, than done. When he neared his mistress' resting place, it was sunrise, and he carefully snuck himself back into his tree.

"Did you have a nice little trip, _slave?_" He jumped at the voice behind him, horrified to find his standing behind him, murder written in her violet irises.

Oh _shit_

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**_So yes, Diaval is a slave in my story, and he has had a very rough life. He WAS the raven that saw Maleficent the night of the 'incident' but I honestly don't know if that's a change or not. Also, notice that I haven't narrated his name anywhere yet... ;)_**

**_All of this will have reasoning in the NEXT chapter. Yes, I do have some CRAZY things planned for this story, I'm so excited!_**

**_Please review, it gets you the next chapter quicker..._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi!**

**WOW! Nine reviews for one chapter! That's so awesome! Thank you to all those reviewers, as well as all the followers and the people who favourite tis story. And of course EVERYONE reading this story. I love you all.**

**Please make sure to read the explanation at the end.**

* * *

The raven gasped for air as his mistress finally brought him out of the water. He struggled against her, which only made her grip on his wings tighten. His cawing grew louder as she walked into a field of wheat, one that he had flown over many times. It belonged to a farmer, one that hated ravens with a passion, and greatly enjoyed letting his dogs feast on them. He tried to slip his way out of her grasp, and she slammed him into the dirt.

"Did you honestly think you would defy my orders and live?" she questioned angrily, stinging the bird with a painful hex when he tried to fly away. A net appeared from out of nowhere and fell on top of the raven, ensnaring him. It was too heavy to move, but he tried anyway.

"I'll be watching the show from the trees. Maybe in your next life you'll know better than to act as if you have any freedom. Goodbye, slave." She kicked him once more and disappeared into the field.

He could hear dogs approaching, followed by the hurried footsteps of a man.

"I got him!" the farmer cried, and he thrashed around as the dogs came closer, their master fetching some sort of heavy metal pipe. So this is how he would die, pummelled by a farmer and ripped to shreds by his dogs. A surprisingly natural way to die, considering he _was _a raven. After all he had been through, he had never expected his cause of death to be natural. He just prayed nature was quick with him, and that death provided him with more peace than his life had.

Suddenly, he once again felt the presence of magic, and he wondered if his mistress had changed her mind, and decided she still needed him. He wondered if he thought that a good thing or not.

But no, it wasn't his mistress. This magic was far more powerful than the magic of his mistress. It was that woman, the reason he was in this mess.

He felt himself begin to shift and grow, she was transforming him. He felt his feathers disappear, his bones elongate. He had been through this transformation before, he believed. He just couldn't remember which one it was.

He immediately removed the net of himself, watching as the dogs and their master run off.

"It's a demon!" the man cried in horror as he raced back to his home. The-no-longer-raven slowly looked down, to find himself staring at two hands. Human hands.

He jumped, wiggling the fingers he had gone so long without. It was rare to find someone who could shift his forms, as it required a great deal of magic. And human form was the most difficult of all.

He looked down at himself, and he was filthy. The water he had almost drowned in stuck the dirt to his skin, and he could see bruises begin to flourish in some places. He also noticed the dozens of new scars he had developed since the last time he was human. He turned slightly to look at his rear, wincing at the dozens of faint lines visible through the dirt and sweat.

"What have you done to my beautiful self?" he whispered quietly to himself, as he examined his scars. They had ruined him, they had marked his body permanently, a reminder that it wasn't really his. It was their's, _he _was their's.

"Would you rather I let them beat you to death?" he jumped as he heard the dark, sultry voice coming behind them. She sounded quite regal, which was surprising considering she wasn't human. She also seemed darkly amused. She probably thought him vain, and he didn't bother explaining himself. It's not like she would care.

He spun around to face her, and he couldn't help but feel angry towards her as he looked over his body once more. Thanks to her his mistress would probably be coming to finish him off herself, or worse, she would decide to keep him longer, give him a few _more _scars. All because he wanted to check on her, and after such a risk she had simply, quite _literally, _blown him off.

"I'm not certain." He said, not really bothering to lie. He was still too miserable and angry, hating what had been done to him. Besides, no one cared what he said or how he felt anyway.

"Stop complaining." She said sharply. "I saved your life." Her green eyes bore into his own.

_That's _why _I'm complaining, _he thought to himself. She was right, though, and he knew he was acting irrationally. Perhaps the woman had truly meant well. She did not know of his predicament. And he was coming out quite rude to her. His mouth mashed into a hard line.

"Forgive me," he bowed slightly, looking down. His mistress appeared from the vegetation, angrily stomping towards him. He began to shake as she neared them.

"You should leave, quickly!" the woman cocked her head in confusion, not noticing the blonde that was stalking her way closer. She didn't move "Get out of here, she-"he promptly kept quiet as his mistress came before him.

He tried to bow, but she grabbed him by the throat, squeezing painfully. "I will deal with you later," she hissed, and he whimpered, willing his hands to move even though he knew it was useless. She tightened her hold, grinning as the veins in his eyes began to bulge and odd noises came from his throat.

She released him and he crumpled to the floor, gasping and spluttering. Maleficent watched him, her face blank but her eyes enraged. The blonde turned to her.

"As for you, you demon, I'll teach you to mess around with things that don't belong to you. I-" his mistress didn't even get to finish the sentence, for Maleficent had snapped her fingers, and Diaval watched as the blonde shrieked, shrinking and shifting. Diaval gaped, as in his mistress' place was a small caterpillar the same colour purple her eyes had been. Maleficent rolled her eyes, and Diaval gaped.

"Now, where was I?," she continued talking to Diaval casually, as if she had not just turned his mistress of 3 months into some animal's breakfast.

His ring had fallen beside her, probably slipped off as she shrunk, and Diaval watched as Maleficent picked it up and examined it.

Then she carefully slipped it on her finger.

She jumped as the ring shrank to fit her slim finger, and Diaval doubled over, clutching his heart as the bonds with his previous mistress were severed, and new bonds were made in their place. Tying him to _her_.

When he stood again, he was shaking slightly, having undergone too much in the few morning hours that had past.

His mouth began to move without his permission. "Mistress mine, my will is thine. Do with me as you please." His back bent into a bow. When he regained control of his body, his hands balled up into fists, he really hated saying that. It made him feel weak, inferior.

The woman raised a perfect eyebrow, and Diaval sighed. He gasped as his "That…that ring. I'm a slave to it. Whoever owns it, owns me." Maleficent stared down at her newly ringed finger.

She seemed rightly stunned. "That is quite powerful magic. That woman owned you?" she asked, though she sounded as though she already knew the answer. He nodded.

"Yes, she was a witch. But now you have the ring, I'm yours." Diaval clarified, and she watched him, obviously interested. Diaval was slouched, his body still aching painfully and begging for rest.

"What do I call you?" she asked.

"Whatever you want." He replied. "I'm at your mercy, most just call me slave, though."

"That's quite degrading."

"I've been called worse."

"What's your name?"

He stiffened at this, and Maleficent noticed.

"What?"

"Your name, what is it?"

"You want to call me by name?" she looked at him oddly, and he had the strange urge to blush under gaze.

"S-sorry. It's just no one's ever asked for my name. I need a moment to remember it."

Her eyebrows shot up, and he looked down shamefully. He tried to remember his life before his enslavement. Trying to remember a time when he was equal to everyone else around him and they didn't call him horrid names. When they called him…

His head suddenly shot up "Diaval," he said, almost proudly, his head boobing in a very ravenish way.

She nodded, a strange sort of amusement in her eyes.

He looked her up and down, and she was still dressed in the same huge robes as last night. He noticed her pointed elfin ears now, more proof she could be a fairy, perhaps of the wingless kind. Her red lips looked even better in daylight.

"Thank you, for saving my life…twice probably, now that I think about it." The woman, his new mistress, smirked in reply.

"You're welcome. I'd like to learn some more about this later. But all I need to understand for now is you are binded to me, and you will do whatever I ask?"

He nodded "Anything, whatever you need."

She took a moment, surveying him once more before speaking.

"Wings," she said softly, her voice laced with pain, and he cocked his head to the side. The was a strange sense of loss coating the word, it made him want to ask her if she had once had her own wings.

"I need you to be my wings."

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**Ok, so the wicked witch is dead. Yay!**

**Now, I felt like in the movie Diaval just took to being human far too easily. He could walk and he knew words and moved and acted very much like a person. I don't think such a big transition would have been so easy. Yet he wasn't perfect at it, it was kind of like he was a bit rusty. Also, birds are very free creatures, I don't think one would offer a life time of servitude for getting a net off his head, life saved or not. I don't even think birds think like that. **

**Also, speaking of nets, where did the net in the movie come from? Why would a bird land in an area with no decent food, and then some how get trapped _under _a net on the ground? What he just decided to crawl under it? Ravens are very intelligent birds, so that didn't make sense to me. And also, his hair looked quite wet, and I don't think dirt sticks that well unless you have a wet body, especially if your feathered. And he was thrown into dirt because otherwise birds fly or sit up in nests, he couldn't have gotten dirty like that in the sky or in a tree. Lastly, it looked like pretty crappy weather the day before, and birds don't fly around in that kind of weather. They are either going south for winter or finding shelter to keep their wings dry so they can fly.**

**I am loving this story myself, what do you think? Please review and let me know.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi!**

**I have brought with me the new chapter! Yay! This story will probably not be updated to often, as I really want to think about what I'm doing with it, and make sure I get every detail. I'm watching bots of the movie, and doing research, and plotting, and these things take time. Also, my entire family and I are sick. So I don't really have much time for writing. **

**Thankyou for the reviews for the last chapter, lets hope we can beat that! It is a bit of a longer chapter than usual.**

**Enjoy!**

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His mistress had used her magic to clean him up and tend to his few fresh wounds. She also used her magic to make him some clothes, which were actually quite nice. A long, black leather coat, black lace up shirt and pants made of soft cotton and linen she had found growing nearby. She had fashioned him a pair of cow hide boots and a leather belt, for his pants were slightly big on him in his malnourished state.

She had explained his job while he dressed. "You are to spy on the castle of the neighbouring kingdom, there will be a man there with dark hair and an accent not of this region. His name is Stefan, and you are to watch his every move. Bring me back all the information you can find of him"

Diaval nodded as he slipped on his coat and followed his mistress, who was already walking away.

"Yes, mistress."

Maleficent turned to him for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "What? No overload of questions?"

"No, mistress."

"Hm, I never knew birds didn't get curious."

"It's not that, mistress. Of course I'm curious. But I've learned not to question anything anymore. I've never asked someone a question and gotten anything but a beating." Diaval replied.

Something flashed in his mistress' eyes, but it was gone before he could identify it. "We will talk later." She said again as she turned and continue to walk back down to the Moorlands.

"Now go, gather all the information you can find and be back by sunset at the latest." With that, she flicked to fingers, and Diaval felt himself shrink back into his raven self. He immediately left, flapping as fast as he could in the direction of the castle.

* * *

When he returned, the sun had just set, and Maleficent was sitting in the same ruins he had met her in. She transformed him, and raised an eyebrow.

"The king has married off his daughter to Stefan, and given him the throne. They announced his death just before I left."

Her entire body went rigid. Her eyes turned a cold yellow, and he couldn't help but flinch. She seemed to be thinking through his words, and her eyes flashed as she came to some sort of conclusion. The anger in her eyes was terrifying, and he prayed she didn't decide to take her anger out on him.

"He…did this to me… so he could be king?" Magic floated around her, her voice dead calm. He stumbled back just as she released a burst of green magic into the air. The green magic swirled around her as she screamed, and he had never seen such a display of power. It was terrifying. It was evil and dark, wicked. But somehow, to him, it was beautiful.

He couldn't talk his eyes off her, not even blinking. He could feel her agony in that moment, as if she was releasing that into the surrounding atmosphere as well. It made his heart, which had for so long been dormant, lurch painfully. While he was happy that it was the skies that suffered her wrath and not him, he somehow felt that watching her in such a state was punishment too.

When she had calmed, her body slouched slightly, and his heart tugged oddly. He felt sadness for this poor, broken woman.

"What now, mistress?" he asked quietly, almost tripping over his own feet when she turned on her heel and walked off, transforming him so he could flap after her. He hurried to follow her, watching from above ground as darkness engulfed the Moorlands and the all the creatures gathered together, sharing horrified gasps.

"Her wings!" one of them cried, a dew fairy. Diaval suddenly realised _exactly _what Stefan had 'done to her'.

That _demon!_

He hadn't even noticed her sit down on her throne, or even _create _the throne in the first place. He flew to her side, seething as he watched the terrified Moorfolk bow before her. He realised very quickly that by crowning herself queen, she wanted to make herself equal to Stefan. If he could speak, he would tell her she was already far above him. He was a swine, stealing a fairy's wings just for a stupid crown and false respect. Wings were freedom, survival, life itself and he had ripped them off his mistress' body.

He loathed this man, and he hadn't even met him. But how had he managed to steal her _wings?_ They were a part of her, they weren't simply a necklace or watch to be taken. They were _body parts._ And what exactly had she been doing when he stole her wings, she didn't seem like the person who took something like that sitting down…

He almost jumped when she reached for him and began to stroke his feathers, for never in his life had he felt such a gentle caress. His thoughts became jumbled, and his beak fell slack slightly. The creatures continued to stare until they were barked at by the tree warrior beside his mistress. They all scattered, so he and his mistress were left alone.

She continued to stroke his feathers in silence for about an hour, pondering what she would do while he tried in vain to think as her fingers wove through the soft plumage on his back. When only the light of a few distant pixies remained, she began the walk back to her ruins, Diaval perched on her shoulder.

* * *

As soon as they reached there, she transformed Diaval into his human self and sat down gracefully against a pillar. Diaval continued to stand before her, until she raised an eyebrow. But it didn't bother her too much. In fact, it gave her something else to think about, realising they had not yet discussed the terms of Diaval's servitude to her.

"Sit." she tried hard to make her voice softer, more an offer then an order. But still his body took it as a command and forced him to fold up as she had. Maleficent watched expressionlessly.

"I'd like to know more about you, and this whole…situation." She began.

He nodded carefully "Well, whoever wears that ring, which is now you, has total control over me. I'm not magical of course, so I can't grant wishes or anything. I'm just a raven, and occasionally other creatures if my master or mistress is powerful enough to transform me. It's more that I serve people who _are _magical. I do their dirty work, collect items they need, find food, I protect them if need be. Whatever they want, they simply ask and I have to do it." She was clever, and didn't miss his wording.

"_Have _to?" she asked

He nodded, "I'm forced to do whatever they say, I can't control it. I have to fulfil the demand no matter what."

She took a moment to think, "So you have a tie of obedience to whoever wears this ring."

Another nod. "Not just an obedience tie, I have a strong connection with whoever I'm serving. I can find them no matter where they are. And if I'm not with them, all they need to do to summon me is think of me, or say my name. I'll hear them no matter how far we are apart. And the curse stops me from harming my master or mistress in any way." He felt that was important, after what she had lost. To know he could never hurt her.

Something sparked in her expression, as he had predicted when he said that last condition. He waited for her to ask him something, rubbing his hands together as the slight chill in the air clung to his fingers.

His sleeves rose up slightly, and her eyes locked onto the two odd bracelets on his wrists.

She looked at him, "Why would a raven want black feather bracelets?" her voice held a lilt of dark amusement, and he looked down.

"It's not jewellery, mistress." Her eyes watched his wrists, as if trying to get a better picture, and he held his arms out so she could examine them better. She looked up, but said nothing.

The 'bracelets' were two large black feathers, the same as the small one which created his ring, each one wrapping around one of his wrists.

"These are my binds, what tie me to that ring." Her head cocked to the side,one of her hands reaching forward as if to touch it unconsciouly, and he hesitantly brought his arms closer to her.

Her hand snapped back, and her eyes flashed, looking angry.

"S-sorry, mistress." He stuttered out, terrified. His arms, however, remained side by side in front of him, as if frozen.

"I thought, you wanted to touch them." He sounded stupid, even to himself. He cowered slightly, and Maleficent noticed, realising he thought she would strike him. She wondered what horrors had befallen this obviously broken creature.

"Iron burns fairies." Maleficent spoke, trying to keep herself from lashing out at him as her mind flashed to a moment where another man had held his hand out to her.

"Oh, I know." Maleficent looked darkly at him, eyes narrowed. So he _wanted _to burn her? Or perhaps he didn't know she was a fairy. She had no wings now, and while he seemed accustomed to magic, that might have confused him. She hoped for both their sakes it was the second option.

Diaval realised his mistake quickly, and hurried to fix it, only taking a moment to think about how he was right. She _was _a fairy.

"It isn't iron, mistress. It's my feathers. They were enchanted by the one who cursed me." In case she didn't believe him, he added "Much like the ring on your finger."

She stared down at said ring, before staring back at him, and reaching a hand out to his wrist. Cold ridged metal met her fingers, and thankfully no burn. She suddenly realised that he was watching her, and took her hand back.

"How long have you been a slave?" she winced internally winced at how heartless she sounded, but made no other comment.

"I don't really know," he answered "I lost count of the year after about 65 years of servitude. I'm guessing around a century or so."

Her eyebrows shot up, shocked. Well, then they could be certain he didn't age, he looked younger than she did.

He let out a yawn unwillingly, and she blinked a couple of times, as if it would clear her mind.

"You're tired, we shall continue this tomorrow." He nodded, and she flicked her fingers, allowing him to sleep as his natural self.

She watched him fly above her in search of a suitable nesting place, and her heart ached, remembering that she would never be able to do such a thing again.

She curled up against the stone, knowing sleep now was beyond her. Instead, she took the time to think over all the raven had shared with her.

* * *

**Ok, so again, it was never really shown that Maleficent told Diaval anything. Not even her name, which I shall get to. And they did not show one conversation between them. I think in about 20 years they would have at least had ONE conversation. Also, I tried to give a bit more background on his interaction with magic, because for an everyday bird, in the movie I think he takes the whole world of magic thing way too easily. Imagine how you would react to one day finding out magic existed. I wanted to get across that he has been dealing with magic for a long time, and he knows quite a lot about it, because the movie didn't focus on that at all.**

**Also, with Maleficent's character, while she is angry and bitter, she was very strong in a way that she mourned and just got on with her life. Yes she wanted revenge, but she was betrayed by someone she loved dearly, and that can really ruin a person. So yes she will tend to come off as cold and mean, but she is just this woman who endured something really messed up. Inside she's good, and she will show that here and there. She is still working out what to do now, as the pain and the whole situation is still very recent and fresh in her mind. So she's not completely cruel, because I don't think such a purely good person can just become evil suddenly. But she's not as lovely as she used to be, because she feels that her goodness was weakness, and that is what lost her her wings. She is confused, and considering the movie is about her they didn't put nearly enough emphasis on those kinds of thoughts and emotions. Hopefully I will in this story though.**

**I hope you enjoyed, please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi Everyone**

**I am back to present a new chapter to you!**

**(Guess where I got this line from ;) ) I might say, I really was quite distressed not receiving many reviews. Sorry, couldn't resist. But we went from TEN reviews, to six, to five. And thankyou to all those reviewers, and all you lovely readers. Let's hope we can get a few more review for this chapter!**

**And just for incentive, this is my longest chapter EVER!**

**Enjoy!**

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The first few weeks of Diaval's servitude to Maleficent were difficult. Maleficent was not at all used to an almost constant shadow, and Diaval was probably the most silent being she had ever encountered in her life. Nothing like Stefan's clumsy footsteps which could be heard from miles away. It made her quite jumpy, and it took a while to stop flinching every time he spoke from behind her. While she was still powerful, she felt vulnerable without her wings, unable to simply fly away from any possible danger.

Diaval was completely terrified, as he was no fool. His mistress was the most powerful woman he had ever served. Which meant if he did something wrong, there were no limits on what torture she could inflict on him. Every time she jumped, he did so twice as high. Yet-save for the first time he had been behind her and she had hit him in shock- she never once struck him, or inflicted any of the torture he imagined she could.

Slowly, they began to adjust to each other. Diaval always made sure to give a loud _caw_ before landing, or he put in extra effort to make his footsteps loud enough for her to hear until the flinching eventually stopped, and she begun to accept his almost constant presence. Maleficent realized quickly what he was trying to do, and while she never verbally thanked him for it, she showed her gratitude in other ways, mainly by also making her moves slower- to dissipates his fears of her striking him- and trying to give him as much time to himself as possible.

Diaval had never had a mistress, or master, like Maleficent. And yes, he had finally overheard her name after his 6th journey to the Kingdom. Firstly, she was the first fae he had ever served, and by far the kindest to him. Which confused him greatly, considering all she had been through. If anyone deserved to be angry and hateful, it was her. Yet not once did she show anger, let alone take it out on him. Just more evidence of her strength. She was also an extremely complex woman, with such an array of different emotions keeping up with her was dizzying at times. But it also made her more intriguing to him, and he spent any free time he had by her side anyway, observing her and trying to unravel the mystery that was Maleficent.

He woke early every morning to spy on the castle, and returned in the afternoons when he was sure he would find no more information. Maleficent woke up each day with a bundle by her side, filled with food. Without her wings, she was unable to fetch food herself, as it was wither over the border or high up on trees. Climbing onto a branch was one thing, trying to pick herself breakfast was another. She had spent the first few weeks living on what few berries she could pick off bushes and fallen fruits, far too ashamed to ask Diaval to assist her.

Diaval had been confused as to why his mistress had been slowly thinning, and once he realized, he made no comment, but made sure to fetch her food each day early before he left, and steal for both of them whatever delectable goods he could find for them when he returned. Maleficent had been horrified once he had figured it out, but neither spoke about it even once. Now, she welcomed the breakfast with gratitude, and their evening meal was the part of the day they looked forward to the most, both thoroughly enjoying the conversations they had together which lasted well into the night.

Diaval had heard her name being whispered fearfully among Moorfolk. _Maleficent. _The name sounded terrifying, and he wondered what exactly her parents had been thinking giving her such a name. But strangely it also suited her, mysterious and unique and dark, just like the fairy. But he doubted she was evil. The most she had ever done to the Moorfolk was frighten them, keep them and their pitying stares away from her. She had never once hit or even screamed at a creature. She never once used her self-proclaimed queen status unfairly, in fact he doubted she really even considered herself queen. Perhaps it had just been a moment of anger. She still protected the land, healed what was broken and guarded them all from threats. They had no reason to deem her _evil, _especially since they all seemed to have figured out what happened to her.

She was not the only one angered when they had found out the threes flower fairies, who had practically raised the horned fairy, had gone to the King to seek _asylum _from her. They had abandoned her, and sided with _him. _Diaval had also been furious_, _becausehe knew that beneath all her anger, there was an aching grief, and he was disgusted that someone had the heart to make her even more miserable.

'Darkness had descended upon the Moors.' Blasphemy! Maleficent still cared for each and every creature, and it was no fault of hers that her sadness was poisoning the land. If there were another more capable to handle her duties, she would have immediately chosen what was best for the Moorfolk.

Even the wall they all despised her for was something out of necessity, not simply her cruelty. With no wings, she couldn't be watching every inch of the Moors at all times. It insured that Stefan and his idiotic men didn't pass the borders. She was protecting them, yet they all abandoned her. It saddened her slightly, to lose all her friends so, and angered Diaval very much. They didn't deserve someone as kind as his mistress, and obviously none of them had ever seen true cruelty.

So Maleficent distanced herself, and therefore Diaval, further and further from the creatures of the Moors. She chose to sleep in the ruins, far from both Moorfolk and the prying eyes of humans. It weakened her to be so far from nature, and her true home. But he knew it made her feel even worse trying to ignore the scared and pitying stares of those that once adored her.

She slept on the floor as, unbeknown to Diaval, she had nightmares, and they would shake her off any tree she slept in. Also, she had a horrid, constant pain in her back that made even sleeping miserable. What _she _found odd was that Diaval, who she had asked to sleep far from her incase her dreaming was particularly loud, chose to sleep in his raven form, but was always curled up on the floor, and that was _if _slept.

So on one of her late night walks, when she had found him once again on the floor and wide awake, she transformed him and sat gracefully in front of him. He stretched his human limbs and gave a yawn.

"Yes, mistress? Is there something you wish me to do?" Diaval asked.

"No," she replied, and Diaval cocked his head to the side, confused.

Maleficent immediately felt stupid, coming to him like this in the middle of the night.

"You wish to talk then?" Diaval spoke again, and Maleficent nodded, still feeling foolish. He sat properly before her, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Why do you sleep on the floor? Why not build yourself a nest?"

He gave an amused smirk, "I'm a slave, mistress, I can not enjoy such things. The luxury of a nest was taken from me long ago." Maleficent looked down. If she ever felt self-pitying, all she had to do was ask Diaval something about his life.

"I would have no problems with you making a nest," she offered.

His smile became a bit warmer, "Thank you, mistress. But there is not a tree here for miles, and I would much prefer to remain somewhat close lest you need me."

She gave a small returning smile, wincing at the sharp pain in her back. Another problem she suffered from the loss of her wings was the inability to walk without her staff/crutch - she was quite off balance without the extra weight- and the almost constant pains in her back from her shifted posture.

Diaval had tried many times to assist her, quite confident he could at least ebb the pain some, but she absolutely refused to let him come anywhere near her, let alone touch her. Let alone touch her _back._

Tonight, the pain was especially strong, and as hard as she tried to hide it, Diaval noticed almost immediately.

"Mistress," he said softly, pleading. He didn't like seeing her in pain, especially if he could do something about it.

She tried to glare at him, but another sharp pain momentarily knocked the breath out of her. Her eyes filled with unshed tears, and Diaval immediately moved from his place against the boulder, allowing his mistress to lay against it in hopes of easing the pain. The pains were getting worse, she realised, as a flash of agony coaxed the tears from her eyes. She was desperate for relief, more than she ever had been. But was she _that _desperate?

"Mistress, I _swear _to you that I won't hurt you, and I'll stop immediately if you ask. Heck, I _have _to stop if you ask. And I couldn't hurt you even if I wanted to."

Maleficent was silent for what felt like decades, thinking. She had not let anyone touch her since she had lost her wings. She was terrified of physical contact, always fretting over what more they could steal from her. But Diaval was right, he couldn't hurt her, and with a simple phrase he would by a frog by her feet. Was that enough for her to trust him? She looked at him, examining his face, which held the same expression it always did when he was pleasing to assist her. There was nothing cruel about the way he looked at her. Just worry- for _her_, shockingly- and a quiet hope. She slowly turned herself so her back was facing him.

"Be careful," she whispered, and Diaval's heart leaped in his chest. To anyone else, this offer may have seemed inconsequential. but he knew how hard it was for her to agree, and he felt incredibly honoured that she finally trusted him with such a task, no matter what the reason.

Maleficent stiffened as she felt his hands on her shoulders, tentative but firm. His skilled fingers worked to loosen up her stiffened muscles and relax her rigid posture. His touch wasn't as difficult to bear as she thought, and he was extra careful with her. His touch became much weaker around especially painful areas, and he made sure to keep away from the stumps of her wings. Unbelievably, she felt the pain fade to a dull ache, until it was completely gone altogether, as if it was just a dream.

She felt complete relief for the first time in the entire year since her wings had been taken, and with this blissful relief came the strong urge to sleep. Before she could do anything, her eyes had drooped and Maleficent fell limp into Diaval's arms, fast asleep.

* * *

The raven had left her in his sleeping place, not wanting to stay for fear of angering her. She had just started to give him her trust tonight, he wouldn't dare make her doubt her decision. But when he heard her bloodcurdling scream, almost the same one that had first attracted him to her, he was bolting back to help her.

His mistress lay screaming, just where he had left her. She clawed at her back as sweat glistened in dull moonlight.

He fell to his knees, prying her arms away and cursing as she continued to thrash.

"Mistress, mistress!" He gasped out, pinning her sown as carefully as he could.

As soon as his voice met her ears, her eyes shot open.

Diaval let her go, falling back in relief. She shot up from her place, confused staring angrily into his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry mistress." He stuttered, "You were...screaming...I thought you were in danger. You had a nightmare." He was terrified, certain he had finally pushed his limits.

She was horrified "I fell asleep?"

His head bobbed, "While I was massaging your back, remember?"

Her eyes widened, indeed she did. How could she have fallen asleep, with him still there, touching her? She felt nothing out of ordinary, but took a moment to check herself.

"And you stayed?" Her voice was back to its usual cold tone.

"No mistress, I didn't think you would want me too. I slept in the ruins, I swear. My coat is still there, if you want to check."

Maleficent felt slightly guilty, for it was not his fault she had fallen asleep. And he had done the right thing sleeping somewhere else. There was nothing to blame him for.

"It's alright. I believe you." She stretched, and Diaval bit his lip.

"Thank you, for assisting me." She said, her voice back to its usual tone.

He gave a small bow, "It is my duty, mistress. Do you wish to transform me to my natural self, so I can go to the castle? It's almost sunrise."

She looked up at the sky, and indeed it was.

She flicked her fingers, and he squawked at her as he flew away, as if saying goodbye.

She thought long and hard after he left, about the occurrences of the night, only brought from her thoughts when a neat little package dropped itself into her lap.

And despite everything, all her worries and doubts and confusions, she let her mouth stretch into a small, honest smile.

* * *

**Ok, so as you guys saw this chapter was all about them adapting to each other. This was not at all mentioned in the movie and I think that was a big issue. Maleficent was shown before to spend almost all her time alone flying and guarding the Moors, so there is no way she would adapt to a 24 hour presence as easily as they showed it in the movie. And she is extremely powerful, which would frighten anyone, at least in the slightest. So I don't think Diaval, a raven would be completely unafraid of her at first. And in my story he has been around magic a lot before, so he would be a lot less afraid then an animal of the wild who had never known magic, as he was depicted in the movie. **

**I think they would obviously over time start to figure things out, and start to compromise so as to settle together. And wasn't Diaval caring for her just the sweetest!**

**Also, they seemed to slowly become closer over time in the movie, yet we never really knew the reason for that. I think it would have started with something like this, her finally trusting him a little more. **

**All the issues I came up with in regards to how she was with her loss of wings were very realistic. She would have found it far more difficult to find food, not being able to fly, and I'm guessing Diaval would have noticed. And she is far too proud a character, I think, to ask someone for assistance. Also a change in your posture can cause many issues, especially if you have lost a huge amount of weight off your back. Not only would she stand differently, but her balance would be put off. Why wasn't that touched on?**

**Another thing is how the Moorfolk treated her after. I think it was horrible. She was never really mean, and always took care of them, and they just immediately deemed her evil, even after knowing what had happened to her and knowing her her entire life! How cruel. And the pixies practically raise her! How could they leave and seek asylum with _him?_ That part of the movie really, _really _ticked me off.**

**We also had the reason for the wall, a little conversation between the too and a situation I have been dreaming about forever, as well as a bit on how Maleficent seems to Diaval, as he is ALWAYS watching her in the movie.**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed! Please REVIEW!**


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